Greece close to minimum agreement deal with creditors, says deputy PM

Yannis Dragasakis suggests deal will unlock delayed funds country needs to avoid default as an interim solution only

Greece could seal a deal with its creditors in early May, its deputy prime minister said on Wednesday, as the country prepared a new list of reforms and the European Central Bank provided more support to its beleaguered banks.

But Yannis Dragasakis warned it was likely to be only a "minimum agreement" to unlock the delayed funds Greece needed to avoid default. He said: "Now we are going to a minimum agreement with actions that can be taken immediately. But [in the long-term] not just any solution will suffice. The solution has to be viable. After the interim agreement a long discussion about the debt, primary surpluses, investment and growth will follow."